LI Zhonghe  CAO Lianchu  ZHANG Zhicheng

(Shanghai university of Science and Technolgy)

DAI CuiXin  ZENG Xiangtong

(Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute)

Abstract:  Baitu clay occuring in the 1owerpart of Maokou group of the permian family is widely distributed in Jiangxi province.Mr. Zhang Ren-jun once designated the main mineral in Baitu clay occuring in Guniuling and Dingjia-shan of Loping county as Sepiolite. In 1977， having made a research on it with X-ray diffraction analysis and EM，the Earth Chemistry Institute of Guiyang considered the main mineral in Liujiawan Baitu clay to be tale， Inorder to form a clear definition of its main mineral compositions，this paper has made a research on the Baitu clay produced in some area of Jiangxi. By differential thermal analysis, the X-ray diffraction analysis，the electronic  microscopy and based on some of the related technological properties, we have found that the main mineral compositions of Baitu clay occuring in Liujiawan. Yichun and Pingxiang are varieties of high-magnesium montmo-rillonite with a small quantity of quartz and illite. Different from the above- mentioned Baitu clay is Guniuling clay occuring in Loping county.Its mineral compositions are montmorillonite in the upper part and Sepiolite in the lower part of the clay ore bed. As the high-magnesium montmorillonite in Liujiavan Baitu clay is a kind of special clay mineral, so our suggestion is that it be denominated for the time being "Liujiawan-type monimorillonit " or "Liujiawanite" for short.

Keywords:  Baitu clay, Liujiawanite